SPIRAL DESTINY
by sawa-cha
Summary: The sequel to the Spiral manga, taking place one year after the epilouge. What happens when Ayumu's fate changes? CONTAINS SPOILERS! AyumuxHiyono
1. Changing Fate

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Spiral: suiri no kizuna. Shirodaira Kyou and Mizuno Eita do.**

**Hi! Thanks for clicking on my fanfic~ If you didn't know, I'm actually miso-hot, but I changed my pen name!**

***THIS FANFIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM THE SPIRAL MANGA!*... please enjoy~**

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-SPIRAL DESTINY-

After one quick heave of breath, the candle's flame swirled itself into a grey cloud of smoke. The short moment of silence was interrupted by loud cheering and scraps of colored paper and confetti were tossed up into the air.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Kousuke frowned at his friends, brushing a few bits of confetti out of his red hair.

"It's not everyday you turn twenty, Kousuke." Ryoko, his childhood friend, retorted as she leaned over to remove the candle from the birthday cake. "Just deal with it."

He sighed as the smaller girl, Rio, carefully began to divide the cake evenly with a knife. "This piece looks yummy..." the silver haired girl mumbled to herself. Although Rio had been away traveling the past several months, she had taken the time to come back to Japan to visit her friends. _She's still just as childish as ever_, Kousuke thought, snickering quietly.

"Alright then." Kousuke said reassuringly, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll take this day as a start of a new beginning for myself and the other Blade Children. Within this year, as the eldest of the remaining Blade Children, I'll prove that we can over come this curse. The battle begins today, but I'll be sure that we win in the end." Each of them exchanged smiles. It was at the age of twenty that Mizushiro Yaiba, father of all of the Blade Children, had sought to eradicate the human race. But it was different now. These Blade Children were determined to break free from Yaiba's expectations and not to give in to the curse. That was because they all possessed something that Yaiba lacked; they had each other. They had friends.

"More importantly, I think that we should make this day a celebration on behalf of Narumi." Kousuke added on. He turned to look over his shoulder. "What do you say, Narumi-otouto?"

The boy with untidy brown hair stood behind Kousuke, looking slightly surprised that he was suddenly mentioned. He then placed a neat stack of plates on to the table. "Huh. Are you serious?"

"Well, after being hospitalized for over a year, you've been finally discharged from the hospital since yesterday, right?" Rio asked cheerfully.

"That's correct." A modest smile edged itself at the corner of Ayumu's mouth. "But despite that, it still seems unbelievable to me."

It was as if a miracle had happened. The doctors had even thought so. After long hours of research and observation on Hizumi Mizushiro's deceased body, they had finally developed a solution to prolong Ayumu's lifetime to over a decade. Even now they were working on ways to keep him living longer, which increases his chances at living a longer normal and healthy life. Having such a phenomenon take place, Ayumu had changed his fate, he was able to prove to everyone that he could keep on living. It proved that the Blade Children, too, could change their own fate and that they could save themselves.

Ayumu gave hope to each and every one of them.

After tough months of going through physical therapy and taking special medications, Ayumu was finally able to stand and walk on his own again. With outstanding results in his recovery, he was released from the hospital. Although he still had some difficulty in moving and controlling his left hand, he was allowed to go back to living a normal life. All was well.

"So what do you plan on doing now?" Ryoko asked Ayumu, pushing a bit of cake into her mouth with a fork.

Ayumu scratched the back of his head. "Well, I didn't really think I'd be released from the hospital, so I hadn't thought too much of it until recently. Aniki gave me an my own apartment that I could live in for now. Maybe I'll look into getting a job or something."

When Hizumi died, Ayumu remembered that Eyes Rutherford paid him a visit to deliver a message from Hizumi. "Go! To you desired place." Was what he said.

_'Desired place,' huh?_ Ayumu thought, letting out a short and exhaled laugh. _He would say something like that._

"But you're free to do whatever you want now, Narumi-otouto." Rio reminded him, smiling sincerely. "You don't have to live in that darkness anymore… Showing that you can pull though it all, you gave us Blade Children more than enough hope to change our futures. You don't have to suffer for us anymore."

Ryoko gave a little nod and Kousuke smirked.

"I'll put some thought into it." Ayumu grinned back at the three, resting his elbows on the table. "But I'm still going to do my best to help you guys and the rest of the Blade Children."

"You can leave that all to me." Kousuke pressed a thumb to his chest, smugly. "I think I can handle it. But for now, let's make a toast." He held a cup in the air. "To Narumi-otouto."

"To Narumi-otouto!" Rio and Ryoko repeated.

The cups clinked against one another harmoniously.

* * *

The party soon ended and Ayumu found himself walking around the streets alone in the late summer's afternoon. It felt as if it had been forever since he walked outside, but nothing had seemed to change. From the trees, buildings, and even the open cracks in the sidewalk, it was as if nothing had ever happened since he was hospitalized. The air had that same scent it always carried and the wind still had that familiar breeze. The people who passed by wore the same expressions as before, minding their own business, uninterested by the people surrounding them. There was no change.

Despite that, Ayumu didn't seem to mind. Although things had seemed to remain the same, he was now looking from a different perspective. He never knew before how much he could value his own life. He was taking everything in. Never before had he felt so thankful to breathe, to walk, to live… it was truly a blessing. A miracle.

"Is it really a miracle? I think I'd have to disagree with that." Ayumu's sister-in-law, Madoka, had said to him the day he was released from the hospital. "You're the one who made it possible for yourself, Ayumu. You're the one who pushed yourself to keep moving on. It can't be just something as simple as a miracle, you have to give yourself more credit than that."

It was true. He did put countless hours into trying to recover. Without that, he probably would be still stuck in the hospital, paralyzed. But even so, Ayumu felt that it wasn't himself that kept him to move forward. It was more of something else, or rather, _someone_ else.

It was _her_.

The girl who went by the name _"Hiyono Yuizaki." _Although the last time he saw her was almost a year ago when Hizumi died, he thought of her quite often. Her smile, her face, and her voice remained clear in his memory, regardless she was thousands of miles away from him, off doing some mysterious job he had no idea about.

_Maybe she's somewhere supporting some other pathetic guy and winning over his affections._ Ayumu thought, laughing bitterly to himself. She may have been just a "character" his brother had created and used, but in the time he spent with her, something had developed. There were feelings that had grown from their relationship. Despite the fact he did not know really anything about who she really was, there were these deep feelings he had for her. So deep, he had enough strength to win against his brother even with her betrayal. He cared about her too much. She was that important to him, whether she was "Hiyono Yuizaki" or not. She was her and he was himself. And together, he felt they shared an unbreakable bond.

But even if they did have that unbreakable bond, they came to the conclusion that they could not be together.

"If you're by my side, someone will mistake it as my happiness." Ayumu recalled telling her before they officially parted ways.

Ayumu continued to walk, listening to the sound of his feet against the sidewalk and the buzzing cars that sped by. He slipped his hands into the pockets of his jacket and shivered a little. It was cold and it was getting dark outside.

Things were different now, weren't they? He changed his fate, therefore, he no longer had to suffer. That meant he could live life as he pleased. He could be with her.

He stopped to gaze up at the hazy darkening atmosphere. The moon was now making it's way into the sky as the sun was slowly melting away into the landscape. He closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled. He felt that a part of him was missing. He was incomplete.

"Where are you now?" He murmured softly.

The only reply he received was the quiet whisper of the wind. The sun disappeared from the sky above him.

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**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	2. Unexpected

**-SPIRAL DESTINY-**

The constant clicking of heels seemed to echo around the apartment's empty hallways. Trailing behind the hurried footsteps, a single luggage was dragging loudly. The owner glanced back at her luggage pleadingly, wishing it were quieter, but she continued to move along the hall. Her eyes scanned each apartment number one by one until she had reached her destination.

_Finally_… She thought, feeling more at ease. She then let go of the handle of her luggage and rested it against the wall. Pushing a few stray hairs away from her face, she pressed the doorbell. _Please answer the door._ The young woman thought, biting her lower lip anxiously. _Please._

* * *

The sound of the doorbell rung through the apartment room.

"Mmnn…" Madoka Narumi grumbled, half asleep, pulling the bedcovers over her shoulders. It was not until after another ring that she sat up, irritated. Instantly, she snatched the digital clock from her bed stand and checked the time.

"It's practically 2:00 in the morning!" She cried, slamming the clock back down to the stand. "Who would want to come over at this hour?"

She turned to her husband next to her and shook his shoulder. "Hey! Go answer the door!"

Kiyotaka yawned, pulling himself out of bed reluctantly. The doorbell rung a third time. "Okay, okay! I'm coming." He sighed.

After unlocking the door, he pulled it open to see the young woman standing there patiently. Kiyotaka raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while, 'Hiyono Yuizaki'." He grinned.

"How nostalgic." Hiyono laughed. "I haven't been called that in years."

Stepping away from the doorway, Kiyotaka gestured his arm. "Care to come inside?"

"Yes." She gave one quick nod and stepped into the apartment room.

* * *

"So you've been found out?"

Hiyono exhaled deeply, sounding defeated. "Yes, my true identity was discovered. Thus, I have failed to complete my mission. And because of that, I have to go into hiding for a while, so that's why I came back to Japan."

"Well, that's a shame." Kiyotaka rubbed his chin with one hand. "So you're asking for my help, yes?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, yes. Yes, I am." Hiyono's lips pursed into a line. Her fists that rested on her lap tightened.

"It shouldn't be too much trouble helping you out." Madoka, who was sitting next to her, replied comfortingly. She then turned to her husband sharply. "Right, Kiyotaka?"

"Yes, dear." Kiyotaka sighed again, giving off a little shrug. He sat up from the living room couch and grabbed his cell phone. "I'll see what I can do. Please excuse me."

Before Kiyotaka left the room, he took a moment to pause, looking over his shoulder. "While you're waiting…Madoka, maybe you should tell her about Ayumu-kun, hm? The girl has the right to know."

Hiyono's mind froze the instant those words came out of his mouth. _Narumi-san… _She had not heard about him or from him since the last time she had visited him in the hospital. That was almost a year ago and perhaps his conditions were worse? A great fear swept over her. She knew he had a limited life span.

"I won't reach my twenties…" She remembered Ayumu saying. _He should be nineteen now_… Her heart sunk a little.

"Narumi-san." Hiyono's voice shook as she turned to Madoka, but she wore a smile. "How is he?"

Madoka saw the worry in her eyes, so she smiled back softly. "Ayumu-kun is doing better than ever now, his condition has improved exceptionally. They just released him from the hospital the other day, and now he's living normally again. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Really?" Hiyono's eyes widened as her hands flew over her mouth. Madoka gave her a reassuring nod.

Hiyono took a moment to take it all in. _He's alive. He's living normally again._ That was the most amazing thing she had heard in the longest time. A wave of relief rushed through her. _Narumi-san is okay… Narumi-san is…_

A single tear slipped down her cheek as she pressed her hands over her face. "Thank God." She whispered. Madoka rubbed her back to comfort her. "There, there."

"Are you thirsty? Would you like some water? Coffee?" Madoka offered, getting up from her seat.

"Coffee would be nice, thank you." Hiyono wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Kiyotaka walked into the room again, snapping his cell phone closed. "Everything is settled now."

"So what is your plan for her?" Madoka lifted an eyebrow while she took a mug from the cupboard.

"Well," Kiyotaka turned from looking at his wife to the girl sitting on the couch. "I switched your name back to your old name, but I made one _tiny _change to it."

"What do you mean by _'_one _tiny _change'?" Hiyono stared at him warily.

Kiyotaka cleared his throat. "From today on, your name will be 'Hiyono Narumi'."

"So I'm pretending to be related to you now?" She asked perplexedly.

"Sort of." He smiled, walking towards the couch. Hiyono frowned.

"From today on, you're going to live with Ayumu-kun as his _pretend wife."_

"_EH?" _Madoka dropped the coffee mug as Hiyono jumped up from the couch, staring at Kiyotaka in disbelief.

_

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**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Return To Me

**-SPIRAL DESTINY-**

"I have to pretend to be Narumi-san's _wife_?" Hiyono cried, standing suddenly from the couch.

"Isn't that the best thing to do?" Kiyotaka smiled, looking way too calm compared to her. He was obviously amused by her reaction.

"But…" It was as if her head was spinning. She hadn't seen him in so long, and now she's _married_ to him. "Does Narumi-san approve of this?"

"Of course he does." Kiyotaka placed his hands on his hips. "After all… You guys are at the right age to marry. And you're the girl that he loves the most, correct?"

She felt her face turn a bright red. She couldn't really answer that. Narumi-san may have _implied _his feelings for her before, but he never _confessed_.

Madoka remained silent in thought as she picked up the coffee mug from the floor. Finally, she spoke up. "It probably is the best idea." Both Kiyotaka and Hiyono looked in her direction.

"It's much more safer to go into hiding with company, rather than being alone. Well, for your situation, that is." Madoka added on. "Plus, if you're there, you can watch over Ayumu-kun and make sure he's doing well."

"You see? It's not so bad." Kiyotaka laughed.

"I… I guess." Hiyono's eyes lowered to stare at the ground, still looking flustered.

"Welcome to the family, _'sister-in-law'_."

* * *

She found herself yet again, standing in front of an apartment door later that day. This time, she was ten times as nervous. The piece of paper with Ayumu's address on it shook in her trembling hands.

_Narumi-san is probably somewhere behind this door_. Hiyono felt a cold sweat start to form on her forehead. _What do I say when I see him? _

Without thinking, one wobbly finger made its way to the doorbell. Hiyono pulled her had away immediately after realizing she had just rung it. _Wait! I'm not ready yet!_

_'It's good to see you're doing well, Narumi-san.' No… 'How have you been, Narumi-san?' That's not quite right, either..._ Her mind was racing with so many things to say, she did not notice the door open.

"It's… you."

Hiyono's eyes flickered up to see Ayumu standing right in front of her. He looked slightly surprised to see her too.

She felt her arms instantly wrap around him. Taken aback, Ayumu lost his balance, and fell to the ground along with her.

"Ow." Ayumu's back was now pressed onto the tiled floor of his apartment while Hiyono still clung to him in a tight hug. "What are you doing, idiot?"

"You're… okay." Hiyono whispered, tears filling her eyes. Her forehead was resting on his chest. "I'm so happy… I thought that…"

Ayumu blinked a couple times and then sighed. He folded his arms over her shoulders, hugging her in return. "Geez. Did you really think that I'd be a goner by now?"

He felt her shake her head slightly.

For a while, they remained lying on the floor embracing one another. It was like a dream for the both of them. _I could stay like this forever_…

"The floor is cold." Ayumu said suddenly and Hiyono tore herself away from him instantly.

"Sorry, Narumi-san." Hiyono laughed, looking rather flustered. She stood up, smoothing her skirt as Ayumu stood up as well.

"I tackled you without thinking! I guess I was just so happy I…" Hiyono went on, but her voice trailed off as Ayumu placed both of his hands over her shoulders. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Narumi-san?" Hiyono blushed as their eyes locked with one another. He stared back at her with a serious and straight face. She noticed he was a lot taller she remembered. His shoulders were broader and he looked like an adult now.

Meanwhile, Ayumu took a good look at Hiyono, who was staring innocently back at him. He hadn't seen her in so long. Was she always this pretty? He wanted to touch her face.

"You shrunk." Ayumu said finally, releasing her.

"Eh?" Hiyono gasped. "We haven't seen each other in so long, and that's all you can say? You're terrible, Narumi-san!" She threw a punch in his direction, but he caught her fist.

"Really…" A smile edged at the corner of his mouth. "You haven't changed a bit." Her fist still rested in the palm of his hand.

Hiyono smiled back, relaxing a bit more. "Just like before, isn't it?"

Her fist loosened and intertwined with his fingers.

"I've missed you." She said softly.

"Yeah." Ayumu watched their hands lace together. Her hand fit perfectly into his.

Ayumu's expression suddenly changed then and his eyes looked more alarmed.

"Narumi-san? What's wrong?" Hiyono was concerned now, searching his eyes for an answer.

"I completely forgot. The soup is burning." He let go of her hand and hurried to the kitchen. Hiyono closed her eyes and exhaled. It seemed the moment was too good to last.

After pulling her luggage inside, she shut the door behind her. Hiyono took a good look at the apartment. It was nice and clean, but it lacked furniture. But then again, it was only a few days ago that Ayumu had moved in, so she couldn't blame him.

"So… why are you here?" Ayumu asked, removing a pair of oven mittens from his hands.

Hiyono's mouth parted open, looking surprised. "Ah…Didn't Kiyotaka-san tell you?"

He lifted one eyebrow. "Aniki? He didn't tell me anything."

She felt her cheeks burning up again. _That person! _She fumed. _He's making a fool out of me! _A clear image of Kiyotaka grinning widely came to her mind. She wanted to punch him.

"Well, you see…" Hiyono pushed her hair over her shoulder, averting her eyes from Ayumu. "How do I say this…"

Ayumu leaned against the counter, waiting patiently for her to go on.

"For the next few months or so…" She fidgeted with her fingers. "I'm going to be your 'pretend' wife."

Right there, Ayumu felt the world stop for a moment. He replayed her words over in his head. _Was she serious? What was going on…? A 'pretend wife'…? And why all of this so suddenly?_

"I have to stay in hiding for a while, so this is what Kiyotaka-san told me to do. They said that this…" Hiyono stopped herself to look up at the dazed Ayumu. "Narumi-san?"

"No. I wont allow it." Ayumu said sharply in disapproval. She felt her heart jump, startled from his reaction.

The two stared at each other from across the room in silence. Hiyono had fear in her eyes while Ayumu glared back at her with an unchanging, serious face.

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. _Narumi-san… _

_What's going on?_

**

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TO BE CONTINUED...


	4. These Feelings

**-SPIRAL DESTINY-**

Their eyes remained locked onto one another's, but they exchanged no words. As Hiyono stood there speechless, Ayumu continued to stare at her in defiance.

Hiyono cleared her throat, lowering her head to bow. "I'm sorry. That was inconsiderate of me, wasn't it? I shouldn't have expected so much from Narumi-san." She felt her face flush. How did she assume so quickly that he would let her stay with him like that? It's been almost three years since they decided to separate from one another. Of course he wouldn't approve of her company. How could she have thought so selfishly?

_I really am a horrid woman…_She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

"Really, I thought you would know by now." Ayumu looked away, eyes narrowed. His voice was now less angry, but there was still bitterness in it.

"I guess… I was only thinking of myself." She forced a smile on to her face.

"You're right. You _were_ only thinking of yourself." He glanced back at her coldly. Her stiff smile sunk into a frown.

"I know I'm selfish." Her voice shook. "But is it wrong for me to want to be with you? I haven't seen you for so long… " She felt the tears starting form. "I've missed you… "

"And how do you think _I_ have felt these past few years?" Ayumu suddenly raised his voice. "Do you really believe that you're the only one whose been suffering this whole time?"

Hiyono's eyes widened, shocked at his reaction. "Narumi-san… I…"

"Just now you told me you were going to 'pretend' to be by my side…" He lowered his voice. "What do you expect me to do after you decide to leave again?"

He then stared straight into her eyes, raising his voice more than usual. "What am I supposed to do when you're gone? I could hardly bear these last few years without you. And now you return all of a sudden, only to tell me you'll be staying with me and then leaving me. How do you expect me to deal with that?"

The tears began to spill over her cheeks as she held one hand over her mouth.

"Narumi-san… You know I would never want you to go through that." Hiyono spoke softly as she made her way over to him.

She lifted up one of his hands and placed it on the side of her face. He could feel the soft sensation of her skin. "I want to stay by your side… more than anything." She then gently rested her head onto his chest. "If only…"

"If only I was really Hiyono Yuizaki." Another tear slid town her cheek and onto Ayumu's shirt. "Maybe then this wouldn't be so complicated."

"'Hiyono Yuizaki' or not, my feelings still haven't changed." Ayumu spoke more sincerely, running his fingers through her long silky hair. He remembered how she used to fix her hair into braids back then. She seemed so childish at that time, always smiling and talking loudly. He longed for those happy times he spent with her when she was always around.

"Narumi-san..." Hiyono pulled away from him slightly to look up at him. "Can I stay with you forever?"

He took a moment to push a few stray strands of hair away from her face. "Only if you can keep that a promise."

Hiyono bit down on her lower lip. "But as much as I want to be with you…"

"It's just that job of yours, isn't it?" He finished her sentence, slipping his hands away from her long hair.

She gave a slight nod, smiling weakly.

"I'm sorry." Hiyono said softly, almost in a whisper. "If I leave again, the only promise I can make to you is for me to come back..."

"I'll always come back for you, Narumi-san."

Ayumu stared at the white apartment walls with stone-like eyes. No light reflected into them. For a while, his lips remained pursed together.

Finally, he broke the silence. "If that's the case…Then I guess you'll have to be my pretend wife for now."

Hiyono's eyes lit up. "Narumi-san!" She cried, happily.

"In return for your promise," He looked into her eyes with still a serious face, "I will promise to make this into a reality later."

His hand reached over to her left hand, pulling her close to him once more. His fingers gently touched hers, his thumb tracing over her ring finger. He then leaned in to whisper into her ear. "I promise to make you officially mine. My real wife."

She felt her face flush into a shade of pink. "Y…yes."

He released her hand to bring her chin up, making her face directly toward his face. They were so close now, with only a few inches between them. It was the first time Hiyono even felt so close to his face. Flustered, the blush on her cheeks had deepened. She then decided to close her eyes, pressing her lips out very slightly.

It was only until she heard quiet laughter that she opened her eyes again.

"Were you expecting something just now?" Ayumu smirked.

Hiyono's face turned hot that second. "That's unfair, Narumi-san!" She tore away from him, crossing her arms together.

"What's unfair?" Ayumu couldn't help but keep smirking.

"You know what I'm talking about." She pouted, cheeks puffed out. "Narumi-san is such a meanie!"

"I think you're the one who is being unfair." Ayumu placed his hands on the counter behind Hiyono, thus, cornering her. His arms were at either side of her. "You're my 'wife' and you're still calling me 'Narumi-san'."

"But I always call you 'Narumi-san'." She was forced to stare at him again, still as flustered as ever. Her eyebrows pulled down in a slant.

"But technically, you're 'Narumi-san' too, so you can't call me that anymore."

"You never call me by my name."Hiyono said curtly.

He frowned. "That's because I don't know you're real name."

"You know what I mean! Ugh!" She pounded one of her fists lightly against his chest. Exhausted, she rested her head against him in defeat and muttered something.

"What did you say?" Ayumu lifted an eyebrow, staring at the girl leaning on him.

She raised her head, looking up at him with soft yet serious eyes. "Ayumu-kun."

Ayumu felt his heart jump. He didn't expect it to have that much of an impact on him. He started to feel heat rise to his cheeks.

"Huh. It doesn't suit you after all." Ayumu said trying to hide the fact he was still a bit embarrassed. He wished the red color would fade from his face already.

Instead of teasing him, as Ayumu would have expected, Hiyono began to close her eyes. "Ayumu…"

This time, he drew his face closer to hers. Just when their lips were about to touch, Hiyono started to fall backwards.

Quickly, Ayumu swung his arms behind her back to support her from falling over. "Hey! What are..."

Then he realized what was going on.

She's… _sleeping?_

He felt his eye twitch as he sighed. _Of course she's tired. She probably hasn't slept for over a day._

Ayumu carried her over to his bedroom and placed her on the bed carefully. "You can be a real handful sometimes."

She was lying there peacefully, breathing in deeply. He brushed his fingers lightly against her sleeping face.

He then leaned over to place his lips against her forehead.

"Welcome home… Hiyono."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
